Allow me to offer my congratulations and that of my delegation to you and your Bureau on your election. I can assure you of our delegations full support as we look forward to a fruitful two week of conferencing ahead.

Fiji aligns itself with the statements delivered by the distinguished representatives of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by the Kingdom of Tonga on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States.

The Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Rosy Sofia Akbar met today in New York with the Executive Director for UN Women, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the UN Headquarters. Their talks focused on worldwide efforts to combat the wide-spread problem of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).